Tim Bradley says he suspects that trainer Robert Garcia was warned by Canelo Alvarez’s coach Eddy Reynoso not to permit Vergil Ortiz Jr. to fight Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.
Boots Ennis Spars with Canelo
Calling it a case of “Mexican hood,” Bradley believes Reynoso phoned Robert Garcia to warn him to not let Mexican American Vergil Jr. face Ennis after watching how well he had done in training camp, helping Canelo Alvarez in sparring for his fight against Terence Crawford on September thirteenth.
Bradley theorizes that Robert received a warning to maintain the talented ‘Boots’ Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs) away from WBC interim junior middleweight champion Ortiz Jr. (24-0, 22 KOs).
“‘Boot,’ what you’re seeing without delay is Mexican hood. You don’t think [Canelo’s trainer Eddy] Reynoso got that decision to Robert Garcia. ‘Boots-Vergil Ortiz, don’t do it.’ That’s what it was,” said Tim Bradley on his channel about his belief that Canelo Alvarez’s coach Eddy Reynoso phoned trainer Roberto Garcia, warning him not to permit Vergil Ortiz Jr. to fight Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis after watching the success he had sparring Canelo.
“Mexican Hood” Warning Call
“He [coach Robert Garcia] got the decision. And the decision was, ‘You don’t need him. [He’s] Off limits. That boy [Ennis] is bad. He’s in there doing something to Canelo. They’re going backwards and forwards. But rattling, Canelo is a 168-pounder. ‘Boots’ is a 154-pounder, and he’s hanging with Canelo. Nah, you don’t need him.’ That’s called Mexican hood. They got that.
The best way that Ennis looked in his debut at 154, knocking out contender Uisma Lima in the primary round on October 11, 2025, Robert Garcia wouldn’t should be warned away by Reynoso. He saw for himself how dangerous Ennis was.
De La Hoya’s Duck Talk
Ortiz Jr’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, was talking what many fans consider was duck language after Vergil Jr’s second-round TKO win over Erickson Lubin on November 8, 2025, on the Dickies Arena in Fort Value, Texas.
De La Hoya said Vergil Jr. has the “upper hand” in any negotiations, and they might need a deal that’s “favorable to us.” The best way De La Hoya was talking, he didn’t sound like he desired to make a fight with Ennis. Robert mentioned after the fight that Ortiz Jr. had other options, like Jermell Charlo, Errol Spence, and Xander Zayas.
“So, you call yourself going over there to assist Canelo. Guess what? You [‘Boots’ Ennis] gave them details about yourself. Now, it’s backfiring. Now you’re looking silly, now you’re looking desperate [by trying to get a fight against Vergil Jr.],” said Bradley.
Bradley’s Theory Gains Traction
That scenario that Tim mentions sounds believable, but that’s likely not why the fight won’t occur. Again, De La Hoya already appeared like he wasn’t excited about making the Vergil Jr. vs. Ennis fight last Saturday night after his knockout of Lubin. It’s a nasty style match-up for Ortiz Jr.
Last Updated on 11/13/2025